Vic Bar calls for more money for legal aid

The Victorian Bar is calling on the Victorian and federal governments to restore full legal aid funding after court cases had to be postponed due to a lack of legal representation.

Victorian Bar chair Fiona McLeod, SC, said the state budget's allocation this week of $3.4 million would go some way to plugging the gap in Victoria Legal Aid's budget, but it was not enough to address the chronic underfunding of cases in crime, family and children's court matters.

But she said the federal government had to face up to its share of funding responsibility for legal aid.

"While we welcome the commitment made by the federal attorney-general to additional funding for community legal services, the issue of legal aid cannot remain piecemeal," Ms McLeod said.

The Victorian Bar wants the Gillard government to restore the commonwealth share of legal aid funding to 50 per cent nationally - up from the current 32 per cent which would require an additional $76.2 million in the 2013/14 federal budget.

"We recognise there are many demands on the federal budget, but as a community we cannot afford for the most vulnerable in our community, including children, to be abandoned and voiceless before the courts," she said.